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WRT feels very lucky to have Dr. Bruce Sharfstein serving on our Board of Directors. Once you read the following interview, you will see why. We are grateful that he took time from his very busy schedule to look back to his early years, so that our younger readers might find a few stepping stones to their own careers. Sadly, few kids in South Florida today get to spend as much time enjoying the outdoors as did young Bruce. Yet you will see that a successful career in the environmental field requires a combination of different interests, that technology has its uses especially when combined with hands-on, primary experience. This combination works well for both Dr. Sharfstein and for Wildlife Research Team.
Canoe View News: How long have you worked with the South Florida Water Management District?
Dr. Sharfstein: I have worked for the WMD for about 14 years now.
 CVN: Describe your current position (job duties, name of position, responsibilities and so on).
Dr. S.: Currently, I am the WMD section lead for RECOVER. RECOVER stands for restoration, coordination and verification and is the multi-agency arm of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP). RECOVER is responsible for making sure that the best science is used in the restoration of the Everglades. My staff and I work with others to conduct research and monitoring activities on the South Florida ecosystem, and to develop methods of determining how well CERP is working, and how to make it work better.
CVN: What is a perfect day for you on the job?
Dr. S.: My perfect day on the job is either one in which we find some really cool results from one of our monitoring or research activities or one of those rare days when I actually get to go out in the field myself; which doesn't happen too often lately.
CVN: Off the job?
Dr. S.: Since I spend most of my days behind a desk or in meetings (an unfortunate byproduct of moving up in knowledge and responsibility) a perfect day off for me involves physical activity; either pursuing my hobbies, or just doing household chores.
CVN: With your busy schedule, are you able to pursue other projects that are important to you?
Dr. S.: Yes, of course I volunteer with WRT, and sometimes help out my wife with her teaching activities. I also have a number of hobbies which I pursue with friends and with my kids (who are all grown up now).
CVN: What was your previous position with SFWMD and how does your current position differ?
Dr. S.: Before I became section lead of RECOVER, I was a lead scientist in the group at the WMD that is responsible for Lake Okeechobee. I got to do a lot more hands on research, and spend much more time outdoors in the field. However, although my current position keeps me indoors a lot, I get to make a difference on the whole ecosystem from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay, and from the Atlantic coast to the Gulf coast.
CVN: How do you describe yourself?
Dr. S.: I am hardworking, organized and logical, and results oriented. I really like people and enjoy managing them, but have little patience for laziness, or incompetence. I have always believed that to lead, you must be able and willing to do every job you expect your staff to do; even things that are gross, disgusting, or difficult.
CVN: What is the skillset of an environmental scientist?
Dr. S.: Although the specific skills that suit me to be an environmental scientist are pretty specific, including a thorough knowledge of biology and ecology (the way the natural world works) most scientists share a broader basic skill set which includes a strong curiosity about the world, a willingness to question and seek answers, and a disciplined and logical approach to doing so. Most natural scientists also find that they eventually need to have a good knowledge of math, and chemistry, and excellent writing skills.
 CVN: What are your hobbies?
Dr. S.: I like doing just about anything outdoors (except playing ball). I garden, hike, cycle, kayak and canoe, and fish. Probably my favorite activity is wilderness camping; usually coupled with canoeing or kayaking.
CVN: Now let's go back to the beginning, so as to give our younger readers a place to start:
where were you born?
Dr. S.: I was born in rural New York State.
CVN: Was it the kind of town/atmosphere that encouraged your particular interests, i.e., rural, city, small town? Or just the opposite?
Dr. S.: I grew up doing most of the things that I still love doing today, so I guess you could say that my upbringing conditioned me to like those outdoor activities.
CVN: As a boy (up to about age 13) what sort of activities did you find the most engrossing?
Dr. S.: Pretty much the same things that I still enjoy doing today. However, for me, the greatest excitement was being allowed to go off on an outdoor adventure for a couple of days with my cousins or with friends. My parents were pretty relaxed about letting us take our canoe or boat and go out and spend a night or two on a small, uninhabited island, or letting us hike up to an isolated mountain pond to sleep out and fish for a day or two. Other than being outdoors, I loved to read; mostly the outdoor adventure genre (Swiss Family Robinson, Robinson Crusoe, etc). Of course this was before computers, and we didn't get a TV until I was in my early teens, so there wasn't a lot else to do indoors except read.
CVN: What did you think you'd like to be when you grew up?
Dr. S.: I think I always knew that I would do something relating to "nature"; though I probably saw myself more as the intrepid adventurer (Indiana Jones) than as a Ph.D. research scientist.
Continued on next page.
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